With more than 100,000 NHS vacancies nationally, a nationwide drive to recruit nurses, and a regional aim of doubling the number of jobs in the North East health and life sciences sector, the potential for young people to go into a career in this sector looks bright
In the North East, employers are joining forces with education providers to make sure that young people gain the practical skills needed in the future workforce. Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), explains more.
The health and life sciences sector in our region has real potential for growth and we know that many businesses operating in this area have plans to expand. At the same time we know that young people are amongst the hardest hit by the effects of the pandemic, with the months following the start of the pandemic seeing a fall in employment levels for people aged 16 to 24.
So how can we make sure that young people in our region can take full advantage of the job opportunities which are out there, now and in the future? And how can we make sure they have the specialist skills that employers in the health and life sciences sector need?
In the last year, six organisations in the North East LEP region – four further education colleges, one school and one sixth form centre – have become amongst the first places in the UK approved to deliver the new T Level in Health and Science.
T Levels are two-year qualifications for 16 to 18 year olds which combine industry placements with classroom learning. In contrast with shorter work experience placements, the on-the-job learning that takes place during a T Level lasts for a minimum of 45 days and is real world, meaningful work provided by employers.
And here in the North East, we’ve gone the extra mile to make sure that T Levels are designed to deliver the skills that employers are looking for in their future employees.
The North East LEP has played a huge role in shaping Health and Science T Levels in our area. The North East LEP area is the only region which has pulled together a network of employers, universities, schools, sixth form colleges, FE colleges and awarding organisations to support T Level delivery. It’s resulted in a coherent approach which we’re sharing with other areas nationally.
As an example, the University of Sunderland and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust are working with local colleges to help design the curriculum for young people who want to go into adult nursing. Students will gain meaningful, practical experience during their course, those who complete it successfully will be guaranteed an interview for the Adult Nursing degree at the University of Sunderland, and successful students will supported to apply for posts within the Trust on completion of their degree.
So you can see it’s creating a pipeline of young people who want to work in this sector, have a relevant qualification and practical experience, and who have followed a curriculum designed to match the skills employers are looking for.
A Health and Science T Level can open the door not only to a career in nursing but, depending on what learners decide to specialise in during their second year, they could also progress onto careers in pharmacy services, midwifery and lab technician specialisms.
There are opportunities for more businesses to get involved in providing placements and helping to shape the skills that young people in our region are gaining. At a time when the employment rate amongst younger people has been hit by the pandemic, I want to make sure that we’re doing all that we can to give young people the best chance of success, so if you’d like to be involved, we’d like to hear from you
